November 28, 2013

The Raiders under new coach Dennis Allen bring a complex defense against the Cowboys, but it helps to have a veteran quarterback like Tony Romo on a short week, offensive coordinator Bill Callahan said.

“He’s experienced, and he’s seen so much,” Callahan said. “That is a positive. But I’ve got to tell you, this is a really creative defensive package that Dennis has put together.”

Callahan said the Raiders don’t give much of a read on whether they’ll blitz on a particular down. They’re as likely to blitz on third-and-1 as second-and-6, he said.

“They’re more aggressive. They’re attacking. They’re pressure-oriented. Boy, they got a lot of stuff in their package,” Callahan said. “When you turn on the film, every play is different. It’s a different front, different coverage, different type of pressure. So on a short week, to cram in what we had to cram in, in terms of preparing for all the variations of pressure, was tough.”

Romo told Oakland reporters it was a grind to get ready for the Raiders.

“They’re very disruptive; they blitz from everywhere,” he said. “They’ve got a lot of different things in that can give you trouble, so you have to account for a lot of different stuff. It’s going to be a real tough game, and I think, with all the different ways that they attack you, you have to grind throughout the week so you feel comfortable by the end of the week.”